Yes, I get it all the time. “Wait. You’re 20? And graduating college? You’re not even old enough to drink.” I’m aware of that, thank you very much. And then, if they’re really interested, they’ll ask the follow-up question: “What’s it like to go through all of college being that young?” Honestly, yes, there are times when I wish that I was a little older, and even more times when I wish I looked a little older, especially as someone student teaching a class of all seniors as a twenty-year-old. But being 20 and graduating college before turning 21 does have a few perks:
- You learn to be really conscious about your choices.
There are always repercussions for drinking underage, possibly so much more so when you’re in a major like education, where going through the justice system almost immediately takes away all degree-related jobs. And when you know that there’s a chance you wasted all your college time because you chose to drink, it’s much easier (at least in my case) to just say no.
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There’s far less pressure to drink than you may think.
Throughout my years in college, I’ve almost never felt pressured to drink. (Note: I’ve also chosen to stay out of situations where I might be pressured to drink, such as parties, etc.) From my experience, people understand when you tell them that you’ve chosen not to drink, especially as an underage. Many people will respect your choices, and it is usually not as much of a problem as people seem to make it.
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You can always be the D.D., no matter what.
This can either be a perk or a huge con. To me, it’s a perk. I love making sure that my friends are safe, and driving them home after they’ve started drinking is an incredibly simple way to do that. They’re usually more than willing to toss a few dollars for gas my way since I’m guarding their life. It gives me an amazing inner peace, knowing just how many times I’ve possibly saved their lives.
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You spend far less time at the bar than your friends.
“Wanna come out with us tonight?” Sometimes, yes. Sometimes it’s good to get out for the night, forget about school work and all of the other struggles and stresses, and just take the night off. But without the pressure of wanting to drink the troubled away, it’s much easier to turn down the offer and just spend some time getting work done. You can always have a glass of water, wherever you are.
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And because of that, it’s much cheaper.
Do you know how much money I spend on alcohol? None. Obviously, I can’t go buy it on my own, but I also don’t have to chip in for my friends that do go out and buy it. Sure, I buy a case of soda or a bag of chips sometimes, but it’s far cheaper to eat a bag of potato chips than to drink a box of wine or a case of beer.